Sgt 23132 John Osborne

• Age: 25
• From: Nottingham
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John Osborne was born in Nottingham on 23rd October 1890, the son of William Osborne and his wife Mary Ann (maiden name variously transcribed as Douse, Dowse, or Doust). His father was from Hertfordshire, and his mother from Monmouthshire, Wales. They married in Nottingham in 1875 and had ten children. John had older siblings Annie, Thomas William, John Alfred (who died at age 2), Gertrude, Violet, George Albert, and younger siblings Frederick Gordon, Margaret, and Harry (died in infancy). 

At the time of the 1891 Census the family is living at 27 Northcote Terrace, Nottingham, where they had lived since at least 1881, with six children and a lodger. His 40-year old father, William, is a railway carman born in Kenilworth, his mother is 33, born in Abersychan, Monmouthshire. There are six children declared in the household; Annie 13, William 11, Gertrude 8, Violet 6, George 3, and John is 5 months old. They also have a lodger John Fox 40. 

His father died, aged 51, on the 10th December 1899.  

Probate 1900:- 

OSBORNE William of 27 Northcote Terrace, Kirke White Street Nottingham railway drayman died 10 December 1899 Administration Nottingham 5 January to Mary Ann Osborne widow. Effects £124 16s 5d. 

The 1901 census finds John with his widowed mother, 46, and five siblings, still at 27 Northcote Terrace.  Oldest brother Thomas, 21, is a railway shunter, Violet, 16, is a hosiery hand, and George, 13, a chemist's apprentice.  John is 10, Frederick 7, and Margaret 5. 

His mother remarried in 1903 to William Earp. He died aged just before the 1911 Census. 

His death was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post on Monday 27 February 1911; 

EARP - On the 27th inst, at 4 Atlas Terrace Kirke White Street, William, the beloved husband of Mary Ann in his 66th year. Long and faithful servant of Messrs. Blackburn and Sons. 

The 1911 Census finds John recorded on the 1911 Census in two places, one at his recently widowed mother, 56 house at 4 Atlas Terrace, Kirke White Street in Nottingham. ("Step" has been added as an afterthought before "son", his mother perhaps thinking he was stepson to the Earp marriage.) Frederick is aged 18, a painter and decorator, Margaret is 15, working in hosiery. 

He was also recorded on another Census as a visitor at his girlfriends family at 106 Wilford Grove, Nottingham. He is shown to be employed as a Chemists Assistant.   

He enlisted in Liverpool on 09th November 1914 joining the 20^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 23132. He gave his age as 24 years and 17 days and occupation as assistant. He was described as being 5' 7" tall and weighed 128lbs, 33" chest with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His religion was stated as Church of England.  At the time of enlisting, his next of kin, was his mother (Mary Ann Earp) at 11 Mafeking Street, Sneinton, Nottingham. This was later changed to wife Hilda Annie, 106 Wilford Road, Nottingham. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He served with No. 4 Company, 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. He was promoted to Corporal, on probation on 08th December 1914 and confirmed in rank on 09th February 1915.

Whilst at training camp in Knowsley he went AWOL for one day on 04th April 1915, he was deducted pay for his absence. On the 19th April 1915 he was appointed paid L/Sgt. He joined the British Expeditionary Force in France with his battalion on 07th November 1915 and was promoted to Sergeant in the field on 12th February 1916. 

Not long before he was killed, John was granted leave to the U.K. from 28th May 1916, returning to the front on 06th June. Whilst at home John, then aged 25, married Hilda Annie Croft, aged 23, on the 31st May 1916. John put his occupation as a Sergeant in the King's Liverpool Regiment. His father, Thomas William Osborne was deceased. Hilda was the daughter of Frederick George Croft and Annie Elizabeth Croft.  Her father, worked as a cashier. John was known as ‘Jack’, and Hilda as ‘Dolly’. A marriage notice was put in Nottingham Evening Post on 01st June 1916.

Shortly after his return to France he was admitted to 1/1 South Midland Casualty Clearing Station on 21st June 1916 and was discharged two days later. His condition was described as "ophthalmic"

They were married for just 61 days before John was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916 during the attack on a German stronghold, the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. He was 25 years of age.

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

Such were the appalling losses on 30th July 1916, close to 500 Liverpool Pals were killed on that one day, that John was reported in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph on 14th September 1916 as: 

WOUNDED AND MISSING

LIVERPOOLS  - Osborne (23132) Sgt J (Nottingham)

It was some time later on 02nd November 1916 that the Nottingham Journal reported: 

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED WOUNDED AND MISSING,  

NOW REPORTED KILLED 

King’s Liverpool Regiment – Sgt. J. Osborne 23132, Nottingham);   

Notices were subsequently placed from his family in the Nottingham Evening Post - Saturday 09 September 1916; 

OSBORNE - Killed in action July 30th 1916, Sergeant J. Osborne, King's Liverpool Regiment, 106 Wilford Grove, in his 25th year. I think of the happiness that might have been. - From his sorrowing wife. 

OSBORNE - Killed in action July 30th 1916 Sergeant J. (Jack) King's Liverpool Regiment, in his 25th year. Sadly missed at home. Mother, brothers, sisters and brother Fred (in France)    

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Jack earned his three medals. 

Hilda wrote to Infantry Records in January 1917 stating she had not received any personal belongings, requesting they look into the matter, "hoping that you may have some things for me".  She was notified the next month that there were no personal effects to send. 

His Army effects of £4 3s 8d. and a War Gratuity of £10-10s went to Hilda, living at 106 Wilford Grove, Nottingham. Hilda Osborne was granted a weekly pension in 26th March 1917 of 11/- (55p).  

Jack was remembered by his family in the Nottingham Evening Post on the first anniversary of his death on Monday 30 July 1917; 

OSBORNE.—In affectionate remembrance dear husband. Sergeant J. Osborne, King’s Liverpool Regt., who was killed in action July 30th, 1916. Though death divides, fond memory ever clings.—From Dolly.  

OSBORNE.—In loving memory our dear brother, Sergeant J, Osborne (Jack), killed in action July 30, 1916.—Fondly remembered his loving brothers Bill, George, and Fred, and sister Annie. 

His mother died one year after John, in July 1917, aged 64.

In 1919 Hilda provided information on living relatives:  She was living in her family home at 106 Wilford Grove.  Married sisters Annie, 43, and Violet, 34, and brothers Thomas, 39, and Frederick, 26, were in Nottingham, Gertrude, 40, was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the address of Margaret, 24, was unknown.  (It is not known what became of his brother George.)  

John is commemorated on the Nottinghamshire County Council Great War Roll of Honour 

John's younger brother Frederick enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters on 08th December 1914, arrived in the Dardanelles in September 1915, was transferred to the Western Front in July 1916 and was posted to the R.A.M.C. in August 1917.  He suffered a gunshot wound to the right elbow, and was demobbed in November 1919.

Hilda Osborne went on the marry William Hall, who himself was injured by fragmentation in France. They went on to have 2 sons and 4 grandsons’ one of which is the co-author of this biography, Jerry Hall. 

In 1939 Hilda was living at 12 Cliffe Road, Carlton, Nottinghamshire, with her husband, a police sergeant, and two sons. She lived to the age of 96, and died in 1989.

Grateful thanks are extended to Jerry for sharing John's story with us.

We currently have no further information on John Osborne, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.